NEWPORT – The restaurant group led by Nicholas Schorsch is adding another establishment to its growing portfolio.
Heritage Restaurant Group on Monday announced it will acquire Jo's American Bistro at 24 Memorial Blvd West. The acquisition is anticipated to be finalized within 90 days, pending customary closing conditions.
The two-floor restaurant opened in 2013 and was founded by longtime restaurateur Joann Carlson, whose family ran the Dry Dock Seafood restaurant on Thames Street for 23 years.
Heritage spokesperson Matthew Lyons said the group is “committed to honoring what Joann has built while ensuring Jo’s American Bistro continues to serve the Newport community for years to come."
Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Jo's American Bistro joins the expanding roster of Heritage Restaurant Group’s Newport venues, which includes La Forge Casino Restaurant, Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant, Red Parrot, The Reef, Caleb & Broad, Cluck House, Flo’s Clam Shack, and Scales & Shells. The group has also purchased multiple establishments in Providence.
HRG also announced the formation of Heritage Hospitality, a merger of its Audrain Hospitality and recently acquired Glorious Affairs Catering that it said creates "Southern Rhode Island's premier full-service catering and event planning company."
Owner Barbara Behan Howlett in a statement said that "Joining the Heritage Hospitality platform allows us to elevate that commitment even further."
"We now have greater resources to serve our clients while maintaining the boutique, detail-oriented approach that has always defined us. I'm excited about what we can accomplish together," she said.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.